News & Notes, Heroes & Goats, Commentary & Quotes- Just Another Manic Sunday!!
Hey there, hi there, ho there, we're so happy to be back!!! It's been a crazy week, with my opening a new restaurant and Jonathan swamped at work, but that's why they call it work, I guess!! Anyway, we're back to posting regularly, and that being said, it's time to recap the Sunday papers, headlines, news & notes!
~Even though we lost to Toronto, it's a great feeling as a fan to feel like we are never out of a game, regardless of the situation. Oh, and for those naysayers who said Jose Reyes was over-rated due to NY hype, he went 4 for 5 yesterday, raising his average to .294 with an on-base percentage of .354...please, please keep doubting him while he makes his way to the all-star game with nearly 10 dingers and will probably have over 40 RBI's and over 40 steals with over 75 runs scored... THIS JUST IN- Reyes hits lead-off homer, #8, and ups RBI total to 36! This guy is just unconscious!!!
~Don't look now, Braves fans, but they've lost 21 of their last 25 games...could their sale price be going downward for Mr. Malone?
~Boof Bonser, Boof Bonser, Boof Bonser...sorry, we just love the sound of that name!!! (Obviously having a David Letterman moment.)
~For a very interesting look at both the media's role in the cover-up of steroid usage in baseball as well as what has become a prophetic look at Mitchell's investigation check out this great op-ed piece by ESPN's Buster Olney in his old publication, the NY Times.
~In the injury department, Paul Lo Duca has a bruised thumb (not broken - don't worry) and left Saturday's game and didn't start on Sunday. He's day-to-day. Cliff Floyd is still not totally recovered, as he is sitting out this weekend and will resume DH duties in St. Lucie either Monday or Tuesday. Randolph is hopeful of having him back some time this coming week- we'd rather he take his time and come back strong! We miss you, Cliffy!!!
~In this column, the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott writes about what Carlos Delgado means to the New York Mets.
From Tom Glavine:
He's much better defensively than what people give him credit for at first, he's made some nice plays at first for us, saved some runs.
From Rick Peterson:
What do I like about him? His personality. He has a way of lifting people up, regardless of how he goes in a game.
So much more then just what we see in a boxscore, and once again testimony to the brilliance of Omar and the assemblage of this team.
~Interesting stat on inter-league play, from Murray Chass & The NY Times:
In 42 three-game series, A.L. teams swept 14, N.L. teams 5. Boston, Tampa Bay and the Chicago White Sox swept two each. Atlanta, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Toronto were each swept twice. The percentage of interleague sweeps, according to Elias Sports Bureau numbers, was far greater than intraleague sweeps, 45 percent (19 of 42) to 25 percent (58 of 228).
~ON OUR SOAPBOX- GILLICK MAKES MAJOR JUDGEMENT ERROR!!!
Last I checked, the Phillies were more than 10 games out of first, and run by someone we admired greatly in Pat Gillick. Then Brett Myers was allowed to pitch for the Phils yesterday, hours after being arrested for spousal abuse. Gillick tried to be honest in his reasoning for allowing Myers to pitch versus the Red Sox:
"I think it's in the best interest of the club," Gillick told reporters. "He's our best pitcher."
THIS, more then steroids or HGH, is what is wrong with the celebrity of being an athlete in this country. Gillick, a family man, should have been embarassed and mortified about what transpired. Manager Charlie Manuel, likewise. It's not like the Phils are one or two or even five games back of the Mets right now, and the Wild Card race is not yet a race. Even if it was, that's still no reason to allow Myers to pitch. Myers offered an apology, not for his alleged actions, but for the fact that the whole thing became public. It is alleged that this is far from the first time Myers has hit or dragged his wife, but this time it came in front of witnesses. Athletes don't live in the world you and I do, as they live in a world of rarified air where meals are free, toys (sunglasses, playstations, sneakers, etc) are free, and wads of cash abound. We afford celebrities treatment akin to those of kings and queens, although true royalty is booed less often. We ask of them to be human, and sometimes superhuman, on the playing field, and merely like the rest of us off of it. Hitting your wife is not acceptable anywhere in our society and is an act of pure cowardice. Cowards don't belong on the field, and if Myers is guilty, which it appears he is, then he belongs in jail, just like you or I would be if we had acted like Myers. Playing a sport is a privelage, utilizing god-given talents to play a kids game for amazing monetary rewards. It's not something to be taken for granted, and players should NOT be allowed to play hours after being arrested for spousal abuse. Gillick erred in allowing him to play, and the Phils as an organization blew an opportunity to show their fans how a classy organization can be run. We are surprised and disappointed in Gillick....Myers is despised, but it's not his fault he pitched versus Boston- it's his fault that his status as the ace of their staff is in jeopardy because he couldn't limit his frustrations and temper to the ballfield, where it belongs....shame on the Phils!
~Duaner Sanchez was scheduled to rejoin the Mets yesterday after magnetic resonance imaging tests (MRI) taken in New York revealed a pinched nerve in his neck. The M.R.I. on his shoulder was negative. Sánchez sustained the injury while throwing a pitch Friday. Let's hope he's back to speed (all pun intended) real, real soon! This could have been bad, folks...
~From the daily papers:
From Newsday, Ken Davidoff offers his usual great takes on baseball, including a piece about Lastings Milledge & a call to either retire Roberto Clemente's #21 (as in fellow Puerto Rican, Carlos Delgado) or let players wear Clemente's & Jackie Robinson's numbers as tributes. We agree. You can read Davidoff's article here. Davidoff also ranks the Mets first in his weekly power rankings!! Always cool to see!!!
In another article in Newsday, also by Davidoff, he reminds us that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays tried to get us to trade Aaron Heilman for catcher Toby Hall, even up, in the winter. Hall, he of the .217 batting average...moral of the story, folks, is NEVER to trade with Tampa, regardless of who the GM is, unless they give us Kazmir back!!!
Is this guy getting paid by the word??? In yet a THIRD article in Newsday, Davidoff comments on ex-Mets attending the Yankees' Old-Timer's Game, particularly 2 of our favorites, David Cone & Darryl Strawberry. Straw is a spring training coach with us, and Cone is weighing his future options. We hate seeing these 2 in pinstripes, although we realize the contributions they made to the Stankees...a link to the prolific Davidoff's article can be found here.
In today's NY Post, Mike Vaccaro talks about Pedro's imminent return to Boston, where he admitedly loves the fans. Who can blame him- he was amazing for them, and they showered him with love for helping bring them their first World Series since the World War I era. Most speculate that he'll receive equal parts cheers and boos. Let's hope it's all cheers, as Pedro deserves it for what he did for that franchise, and for the ignoble way they went about offering him a contract to stay (and as we are all blatantly aware, their loss is truly our huge gain!) A link to Vaccaro's article can be found here.
Also in today's Post, Pat Reichart interviews Rudy Terrasas, the Mets' director of amateur scouting, in an article entitled "Mets Mind Their Minors." Terrasas is asked to pick some unheralded prospects in the Mets lower leagues, and he offered pitchers Joe Smith and John Holdzkom, catcher Drew Butera (son of former Twin's catcher Sal), and one Daniel Stegall, reliever/outfielder, whose signing we broke a few weeks back and who is multi-talented. A great read that can be found here.
Also in the Post, in Steve Serby's Sunday Q&A, this weeks' subject is Mets resident senior, pinch-hitter extraordinaire Julio Franco. Serby asks Franco what he'd do if he could be baseball commissioner for a day, and he replies "Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. He made a big mistake, he admitted it, but he did more good to the sport than damage." Great call, Julio- we totally agree! To read Serby's article, simply click here.
In today's NY Daily News, the always awesome Adam Rubin informs us that AAA Manager, Ken Oberkfell, has recovered from his leg infection sufficiently enough to return to managing. We are grateful for Obie's healthy return, as we are long-time supporters of him, and also are grateful for Rubin's always excellent work. You can read Rubin's blog here.
And that's all for another Sunday- gotta go watch us win 2 of 3 from the Blue Jays!!!
~Even though we lost to Toronto, it's a great feeling as a fan to feel like we are never out of a game, regardless of the situation. Oh, and for those naysayers who said Jose Reyes was over-rated due to NY hype, he went 4 for 5 yesterday, raising his average to .294 with an on-base percentage of .354...please, please keep doubting him while he makes his way to the all-star game with nearly 10 dingers and will probably have over 40 RBI's and over 40 steals with over 75 runs scored... THIS JUST IN- Reyes hits lead-off homer, #8, and ups RBI total to 36! This guy is just unconscious!!!~Don't look now, Braves fans, but they've lost 21 of their last 25 games...could their sale price be going downward for Mr. Malone?
~Boof Bonser, Boof Bonser, Boof Bonser...sorry, we just love the sound of that name!!! (Obviously having a David Letterman moment.)
~For a very interesting look at both the media's role in the cover-up of steroid usage in baseball as well as what has become a prophetic look at Mitchell's investigation check out this great op-ed piece by ESPN's Buster Olney in his old publication, the NY Times.
~In the injury department, Paul Lo Duca has a bruised thumb (not broken - don't worry) and left Saturday's game and didn't start on Sunday. He's day-to-day. Cliff Floyd is still not totally recovered, as he is sitting out this weekend and will resume DH duties in St. Lucie either Monday or Tuesday. Randolph is hopeful of having him back some time this coming week- we'd rather he take his time and come back strong! We miss you, Cliffy!!!
~In this column, the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott writes about what Carlos Delgado means to the New York Mets.
From Tom Glavine:
He's much better defensively than what people give him credit for at first, he's made some nice plays at first for us, saved some runs.
From Rick Peterson:
What do I like about him? His personality. He has a way of lifting people up, regardless of how he goes in a game.
So much more then just what we see in a boxscore, and once again testimony to the brilliance of Omar and the assemblage of this team.
~Interesting stat on inter-league play, from Murray Chass & The NY Times:
In 42 three-game series, A.L. teams swept 14, N.L. teams 5. Boston, Tampa Bay and the Chicago White Sox swept two each. Atlanta, Arizona, Pittsburgh and Toronto were each swept twice. The percentage of interleague sweeps, according to Elias Sports Bureau numbers, was far greater than intraleague sweeps, 45 percent (19 of 42) to 25 percent (58 of 228).
~ON OUR SOAPBOX- GILLICK MAKES MAJOR JUDGEMENT ERROR!!!
Last I checked, the Phillies were more than 10 games out of first, and run by someone we admired greatly in Pat Gillick. Then Brett Myers was allowed to pitch for the Phils yesterday, hours after being arrested for spousal abuse. Gillick tried to be honest in his reasoning for allowing Myers to pitch versus the Red Sox:
"I think it's in the best interest of the club," Gillick told reporters. "He's our best pitcher."
THIS, more then steroids or HGH, is what is wrong with the celebrity of being an athlete in this country. Gillick, a family man, should have been embarassed and mortified about what transpired. Manager Charlie Manuel, likewise. It's not like the Phils are one or two or even five games back of the Mets right now, and the Wild Card race is not yet a race. Even if it was, that's still no reason to allow Myers to pitch. Myers offered an apology, not for his alleged actions, but for the fact that the whole thing became public. It is alleged that this is far from the first time Myers has hit or dragged his wife, but this time it came in front of witnesses. Athletes don't live in the world you and I do, as they live in a world of rarified air where meals are free, toys (sunglasses, playstations, sneakers, etc) are free, and wads of cash abound. We afford celebrities treatment akin to those of kings and queens, although true royalty is booed less often. We ask of them to be human, and sometimes superhuman, on the playing field, and merely like the rest of us off of it. Hitting your wife is not acceptable anywhere in our society and is an act of pure cowardice. Cowards don't belong on the field, and if Myers is guilty, which it appears he is, then he belongs in jail, just like you or I would be if we had acted like Myers. Playing a sport is a privelage, utilizing god-given talents to play a kids game for amazing monetary rewards. It's not something to be taken for granted, and players should NOT be allowed to play hours after being arrested for spousal abuse. Gillick erred in allowing him to play, and the Phils as an organization blew an opportunity to show their fans how a classy organization can be run. We are surprised and disappointed in Gillick....Myers is despised, but it's not his fault he pitched versus Boston- it's his fault that his status as the ace of their staff is in jeopardy because he couldn't limit his frustrations and temper to the ballfield, where it belongs....shame on the Phils!
~Duaner Sanchez was scheduled to rejoin the Mets yesterday after magnetic resonance imaging tests (MRI) taken in New York revealed a pinched nerve in his neck. The M.R.I. on his shoulder was negative. Sánchez sustained the injury while throwing a pitch Friday. Let's hope he's back to speed (all pun intended) real, real soon! This could have been bad, folks...
~From the daily papers:
From Newsday, Ken Davidoff offers his usual great takes on baseball, including a piece about Lastings Milledge & a call to either retire Roberto Clemente's #21 (as in fellow Puerto Rican, Carlos Delgado) or let players wear Clemente's & Jackie Robinson's numbers as tributes. We agree. You can read Davidoff's article here. Davidoff also ranks the Mets first in his weekly power rankings!! Always cool to see!!!
In another article in Newsday, also by Davidoff, he reminds us that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays tried to get us to trade Aaron Heilman for catcher Toby Hall, even up, in the winter. Hall, he of the .217 batting average...moral of the story, folks, is NEVER to trade with Tampa, regardless of who the GM is, unless they give us Kazmir back!!!
Is this guy getting paid by the word??? In yet a THIRD article in Newsday, Davidoff comments on ex-Mets attending the Yankees' Old-Timer's Game, particularly 2 of our favorites, David Cone & Darryl Strawberry. Straw is a spring training coach with us, and Cone is weighing his future options. We hate seeing these 2 in pinstripes, although we realize the contributions they made to the Stankees...a link to the prolific Davidoff's article can be found here.
In today's NY Post, Mike Vaccaro talks about Pedro's imminent return to Boston, where he admitedly loves the fans. Who can blame him- he was amazing for them, and they showered him with love for helping bring them their first World Series since the World War I era. Most speculate that he'll receive equal parts cheers and boos. Let's hope it's all cheers, as Pedro deserves it for what he did for that franchise, and for the ignoble way they went about offering him a contract to stay (and as we are all blatantly aware, their loss is truly our huge gain!) A link to Vaccaro's article can be found here.
Also in today's Post, Pat Reichart interviews Rudy Terrasas, the Mets' director of amateur scouting, in an article entitled "Mets Mind Their Minors." Terrasas is asked to pick some unheralded prospects in the Mets lower leagues, and he offered pitchers Joe Smith and John Holdzkom, catcher Drew Butera (son of former Twin's catcher Sal), and one Daniel Stegall, reliever/outfielder, whose signing we broke a few weeks back and who is multi-talented. A great read that can be found here.
Also in the Post, in Steve Serby's Sunday Q&A, this weeks' subject is Mets resident senior, pinch-hitter extraordinaire Julio Franco. Serby asks Franco what he'd do if he could be baseball commissioner for a day, and he replies "Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. He made a big mistake, he admitted it, but he did more good to the sport than damage." Great call, Julio- we totally agree! To read Serby's article, simply click here.
In today's NY Daily News, the always awesome Adam Rubin informs us that AAA Manager, Ken Oberkfell, has recovered from his leg infection sufficiently enough to return to managing. We are grateful for Obie's healthy return, as we are long-time supporters of him, and also are grateful for Rubin's always excellent work. You can read Rubin's blog here.
And that's all for another Sunday- gotta go watch us win 2 of 3 from the Blue Jays!!!
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